The PM's obesity crusade must not abandon Conservative principles

In the clash of national sensibilities, Boris Johnson’s leanings have always seemed obvious. Our PM is every inch a Cavalier, a consummate Merrie Englander and sworn foe of hand-wringing puritans. His evident unease at announcing full lockdown measures seemed an appropriate response to dismantling our ancient liberties.

Not anymore. The PM’s brush with death has reportedly sparked a Damascene conversion. Weighing 17.5 stone when he fell ill, the PM is convinced this extra upholstery exacerbated his life-threatening reaction to Covid-19, and now plans a more muscular anti-obesity drive. Despite little concrete detail so far, expanding Britain’s ‘sin taxes’ could play a central role. Former Chancellor George Osborne certainly welcomed the shift: “Good to see that the sugar tax I introduced in my 2016 Budget continues to win over those who opposed it”.

What’s the problem? Though age remains the overwhelming risk factor, Britain’s high obesity levels will naturally spark calls for “something to be done”. Yet sin taxes have a patchy international record. Politicians, especially conservatives, should beware policies that disproportionately harm the poor, while scarcely affecting obesity rates. The focus should be on tackling the current pandemic.

Granting themselves extra powers risks emboldening a bureaucracy in dire need of change. Public Health England, the body overseeing our response, has had a terrible war; doling out catastrophic advice on care homes, and failing to collaborate with private sector firms on testing.

Their obsession with micro-managing our diets arguably blinded them to the real dangers; while PHE officials were campaigning to remove Tony the Tiger from cereal packs, they failed to anticipate the looming global health crisis. Doubling down on nanny statism now will suggest the government has learned little from this experience.

The shift towards statism bodes ill when the Treasury is abandoning fiscal prudence elsewhere. Last week, the PM talked of stimulating growth through infrastructure spending (in fact, Ministers should be compiling a list of costly and misguided projects to axe, starting with HS2). He has promised to protect public sector pay under all circumstances and seems worryingly reluctant to accept that boosting public sector wages means pay cuts for wealth-generators. It may feel like a lifetime ago – but we had an election last December, and the public chose the Tories, not the Lib Dems.

This is not to downplay the effects of Britain’s obesity crisis. But to me the problem appears cultural; sedentary lifestyles, and a level of food illiteracy that would horrify previous generations. Prioritising exercise and education seems a more Johnsonian way than the blunt tool of sin taxes. Or better yet, the power of persuasion. His recovery gave public morale a resounding boost. Just imagine how the PM could stir a nation of couch potatoes by waging the Battle of the Bulge from the front.